Method of making shoes



H. E. MARTIN.

METHOD 0F MAKING SHOES.

APPLICATION man Aue.2s.191.

Patnt'ed Feb. 7 ,K l1922.

9 Figli /N VEN TDR orFlcE. l

HARRY E. MARTIN, 0E AUBURN,` MAINE, AssIGNoR To UNITED sIIoEv MACHINERY CORPORATION, 0E PATERsoN, NEw JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

METHOD 0E MAKING SHOES.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 7, 1922.

' Appncauon'iea August 23, 191s. serieu No. 251,110. y

To @ZZ whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, IAIARRYE. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of Androscoggin and State of Maine, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Making Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the seve-ral figures.

The present invention relates to the manu facture of shoes and `more particularly to improvementsl in methods of manufacturing shoes of the type known as turn shoes, socalled because of the fact that the shoe upper is attached to the sole of the shoe inside out and then subsequently reversed.

The operation of turning a shoe right side out whichis incident to the turn process of making shoes requires considerable skill and, unless very carefully performed, it is apt seriouslyT to injure a shoe on ac# count of the severe strain whichis put upon the shoe during the turning operation. By reason of this fact, accordingto the usual process of manufacturing, the forepart and the heel portion of the shoe are turned right side out by independent turning operations and turning machines which are especially adapted for each operation are in general use to facilitate the turning operation and to assist in reversing the shoe with the least amount of strain on the seams and distortion of the Shoe. p

The chief object of the presenty invention is to provide a methodl of making shoes of the turn type by the practice of which the heel part of a turn shoe may be turn-ed right side out with greater Vfacility and without liability Yof causing injury to the shoe materials or the inseam connecting the upper to the sole, and, in addition, so as to eliminate the necessity of employing a heei part turning machine and a skilled operator to reverse the heel parts of the shoe.

With this object in View, the present invention'contemplates attaching an assembled shoe upper to a turn sole, preparing the shoe for the operation of turning the heel part of the shoe right side out by rigidly attaching a molded counter to the heel end of the sole in the relative position it is to occupy in the completedv shoe, supporting the shoe at the .heel and, with thefcounter as a formover which to striplthe lining and`A the shoe upper, stripping the liningand upper over the counter and into position to dispose the shoe upper right side out about the counter. lt will be seen that by this procedure the heel stiffener or counter isnot incorporated in the shoe until after the shoe upperlhas been attached to the sole and by rigidly attaching the coimter to the sole in the relative position it is to occupy in the completed lshoe it is possible to strip the'v lining and upper over on the counter which vis used as a form and into its final position very readily and with little labor. Moreover, inasmuch as the heel part of the shoe which is reversedconsists of the shoe upper and lining only the relatively thick counter material heretofore necessary to' reverse the shoe and particularly the inseam is not 'put under the sever strain and distortion which is attendant upon the prior practice where.'- in tit 1s necessary toreverse the relatively thick counter material along with the` shoe upper and lining. A further and important result of' this method of vrproducing turn shoes isvthat the heelV part kof the shoe' may be reversed without the employment of the heel part turning machine heretofore used thus dispensing with one yInachine and elimif nating the :skilled operator -heretofore/Ifequired for that machine and,` therefore,vr very materially `-reducing the costof the turning of theshoe.y As herein illustrated,'the shoe upper is attached to the sole completely around'the shoe in the iirst instance, but the lining is left unattached4 to the sole' around the Vheel, and forwardly into theshank of the shoe,

a distance corresponding to the length Vof the counter and preferably also the lining is slit at the termination of the attachment of the lining to the sole so as to provide a free marginal portion for the convenience of the operator in strippingthe lining and upper over the counter and properly disposing the lining` in the inside ofthe shoe after it is turned.

' lnorder that the counter may resist the strain'placed upon it as the lining and upper are stripped back,lit isy important that ythe counter should fbe VVrigidly secured .to the sole asillustrated, for example, by thenails driven at spaced intervals along the inturned fiange of the counter and clenched inthe sole and, also, preferably the heel end'of the s hoe is mounted upon a support during the step of stripping the lining and upper over the counter further to enable the counter to relieve the strain on the shoe.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings and the invention will then beparticularly defined in the appended claim s.

In the drawings,- f

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred manner of preparing lthe heel part of. a turn shoe for the operation of reversing the' heel part of the shoe in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective Vview of the heel portion of a shoe and illustrating the manner of stripping the shoe lining and upper over the attached counter as a heel form in reversing the slice;

Fig. 3 is a vertical 4section through the heel part of a shoe illustrating the relative disposition of the shoe upper, the lining and vcounter in the' completed shoe.

In carrying out the process of the present invention, in one manner in which it has been successfully practised, the shoe upper 2 including the lining 4 is first assembled upon a last 6, ltogether with a sole 8 in the usual manner of making turn shoes, the sole being provided with the customary sewing shoulder. 1n the illustrated manner of making the shoe the upper 2 is secured to the sole 8 from substantially the heel breast line on one side of the shoe, forwardly, to a corresponding point on the opposite side of the shoe by the'stitches 10, the lining also being included in the seam through the forepart and in the shank of the shoe. The heel portion yof the upper, however, is lasted over on to the heel seat surface of the sole 8 and secured by lasting tacks although the :seam stitches 10 might, if desired, be extended around the heel seat portion of the sole and `form a ycontinuous seamto attach the upper. For the purposes of this invention, a counter or heel stifiener is not incorporated in -the shoe upper when it is first assembled on the last `as with the method heretofore used and, also, the lining 4, is left unattached to the sole `8 around the .heel and forwardly into the vshank of the shoe a distance approximating the length of the counter which is to be incorporated in the shoe, this lining being left unattached to lthe sole in this manner either in case the upper is attached ,to the sole by the continuation of the stitches 10.01 when the upper is attached to the sole by metallic fastenings as herein shown. To facilitate leaving the lining unattached to the sole forwardly of the termination of the seam 10 and to permit the marginal portion of the lining to be free, the lining is preferably slit as indicated at 12 on either side of the shoe at poi-nts where the attachment of it to the sole terminates.

After the upper 2 and lining 4 have been secured te the sole 8 as illustrated and described, the heel part of the shoe is prepared for the operation of reversing the shoe to bring the upper 2 outermost and in nal position. Accordingly, a previously molded counter 14 of the desired shape is rigidly attached `to the heel end of the sole in the relative position it is to occupy in the completed shoe and preferably, and as illustrated, a shank member 16 of the type ordinarily employed in turn shoes is assembled with the counter and the combined counter andstiffener employed. The counter 14 is rigidly secured in upright position on the sole 8 by tacks 18 passing through thermargin of the shank stiffener, the inturned flange of the counter, and into the sole, the points being clenched on the iron heel plate lprovided on the 'last 6. ln the next step of the process, the last 6 is withdrawn from the shoe and the shoe placed upon any convenient support which will, as indicated at 20, support the shoe during the 'heel turning operation. This support is preferably of a shape to enter the space within the counter and to support the shoe adjacent .to the rear wall of the counter 14 as indicated in Fig. 2. The shoe is preferably applied to the support vin'upright position, that is with the counter, which is Aattached to the sole, extending downwardly and around the supporting means.- fin turning the vshoe right side out, the operator grasps the free marginal portion of the lining around the heel end of the shoe, and Nby pulling downwardly strips the lining 4 and the .upper 2 over the counter 14, using the counter as a form to control the disposal vof theupper as it is Y were heretofore necessary to shrink the upl per to the contour of the last around the heel because of the distortion and stretching` of the upper during turning are materially reduced. ln the next step of the operation the shoe is removed from the shoe support 2O and the lining 4 then folded back within the shoe and arranged in linal position with its margin outturned on to the upper surface of the shank stilfener as illustrated in Fi 3 ofthe drawings.

1t will be seen that by rigidly attaching the counter 14 to the sole 8 in its vfinal krelative position in the shoe after the shoe upper is finally secured to the sole so as to enable it to be used as a form over which to strip the upper and that by leaving the lining unattached to the sole about the heel end whereby its margin can be conveniently grasped and pulled over the counter, the inseam l0 and the metallic fastening seam attaching.

the upper to the sole is not subjected to any great amount of strain as it would be if the counter was being turned, particularly when the counter is of comparatively thick material or as in many cases too dry to be readily manipulated. Moreover, the practice of the above described method does not necessitate the use of the heel part turning machines which are now commonly used whereby the cost of the heel part turning opera` tion is reduced and a skilled operator for the machine not necessary, the heel part turning operation being performed according to the method above disclosed with a minimum amount of skill and labor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is;

l. That improvement in methods of making turn shoes which consists in securing a shoe upper inside out to a sole, preparing the shoe for the operation of turning'the heel part of the shoe right side out by rigidly attach ing a molded counter to the heel end of the sole entirely around said heel end in the relative position it is to occupy in the completed shoe, supporting the heel end of the shoe, and reversing the heel part of the shoe, employing the attached counter as a form over which to strip the shoe upper.

2. That improvement in the art of making turn shoes which consists in sewing a shoe upper, including the lining, inside out to the sole, preparing the shoe for the operation of turning the heel partv of the shoe right side out by rigidly attaching a molded counter to the heel end of the sole by fasteners which pass through the inturned flange adjacent its forward and rear portions in the relative position it is to occupy in the completed shoe, supporting the shoe at the heel and with the counter as a heel form, and

v stripping the lining and upper over the counter and into position to dispose the counter between the upperand lining.

3. That improvement in the art of making turn shoes which consists in assembling a shoe upper, including .a lining, inside out upon a last, together with a sole, attaching the shoe upper and lining to the sole but leaving the lining unattached to the sole about the heel and forwardly into the shank a distance corresponding to the length of a counter, preparing the shoe for the operation of turning the heel part of the shoe right side out by rigidly attaching a molded counter to the heel end of the sole entirely around said heel end in the relative position it is to occupy in the completed shoe, supporting the shoe at the heel end with-the counter as a form over which to strip the shoe upper, stripping the lining and upper over the counter, and subsequently arranging the lining in position inside the shoe to dispose the counter between the upper and y of the sole entirely around said heelV end in y the relative position it is to occupy in the finished shoe by inserting a pluralityof fastenings through the counter flange and into the sole, placing the shoe sole downwardly 'upon a support engaging the heel end of the sole within the counter, seizing lthe free margin of the lining at the heel and stripping the lining and the upper downwardly over the counter as a form, and subsequently arranging the lining in the inside of the shoe to dispose the counter between the upper and the lining.

5. That improvement in methods of makingpturn shoes which comprises securing a shoe upper inside out to a sole, rigidly attaching a molded counter to the heel end of the sole by fastenings which extend. substantially entirely around said heel end, placing the shoe with the tread face of the sole uppermost and the counter extending downwardly therefrom upon a rigid support,

name to this specification.

HARRY E. MARTIN. 

